Capture
by Agent Frostbite
Summary: Padawan Rachel Starr is one of the few survivors of Order 66. Now knowing who the Autobots are, she's been introduced to a whole different world. What she doesn't know is that she's being hunted, her hunter found her, and she's made a deal with the Decepticons. What none of them know, however, is that another series of events have been set in motion... Fourth in the Refugee Series.


_Rachel got pushed to the ground by her attacker. Her lightsaber was out of reach, lost early in the fight. Her attacker stood over her, black armor gleaming in the Saharan moonlight. She laughed cruelly, and brought her blood red saber down for the final blow._

 _Rachel's hand hit something metal buried beneath the dunes, and she pulled it out, recognizing the design of the metal and pressing the button on the side. She brought the new saber up to block what would've been a killing blow, and both women were taken off guard by the color of Rachel's found saber._

 _It was jet black, with a white edge. A Darksaber._

Rachel sat straight up in bed, panting after her latest nightmare. Although, the vivid detail told it her it was more a vision than a nightmare. She sighed and ran a hand down her face. Not like she could do anything about either possibility. She threw the covers off and walked to the bathroom.

She turned on the sink and splashed cold water on her face, waking herself up. When she looked up in the mirror, she saw another figure behind her. Olive colored skin, black armor, and a sinister grin.

She shouted and whirled around, coming face to face with thin air. She groaned. "I must be losing my mind..." Her phone rang, and she went to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey Rachel." It was Jack Darby. "Arcee got called for a mission today."

"It's Wednesday," she pointed out. "And 3 in the morning. What are you doing awake?"

"It's not 3 in Brazil, evil never sleeps, and 'Cee didn't want me to wake up and flip out 'cause she was gone," Jack answered. "Anyway, my mom's gonna drive us to school."

"Okay. Call me about 20 minutes before you get here, and I'll be ready at the door," Rachel said. "Night." She hung up, sighing. The image of the figure still flashed behind her closed eyes. An Inquisitor.

Every nerve was on alert. The Force was screaming at her. Something was very wrong, but she couldn't put a finger on it. Maybe it had something to do with the Inquisitor? Was she here? No, Rachel would've sensed it.

Then again, her ability to use the Force diminished after... _it_ happened. So maybe not.

She flopped back onto the bed and tried to get some sleep.

* * *

The call came at 7:20, and Rachel was up, dressed, packed, and ready by the time the car pulled up. Jack was dialing her number just as the door opened. She walked out and to the car. Jack leaned over and opened the door for her. "Thanks," she said. "Thank you for the ride, Ms. Darby."

"You're welcome," June replied. "Couldn't leave you stranded at home." Rachel glanced at Jack, silently asking if she knew. He gave her a nod, which was much more discreet than he'd been intending. "So, what secret agent conversation is going on back there?" June asked.

Rachel looked a little shocked at getting caught. "Just discussing whether or not you know," Jack answered. June chuckled.

"Yes. It took getting kidnapped to find out, but yes," June replied. Rachel nodded, then looked at her shoes. She really had nothing to talk about. "How long have you been here?"

"I think about two months now," Rachel answered. How was she supposed to explain? Or had Jack already done so? There were no further questions about Rachel's family and how they afforded so nice a house, so maybe she already knew. "How long have you been here?"

"15 years," June replied. "We moved here when Jack was a year old, after I applied to work at the hospital in town and got accepted. Until then, we lived in Denver."

"Is it nice there?" Rachel asked. She'd seen nothing but this town for two months, the inside of a ship for a whole one before that. She longed to see trees, feel cool spring water, hear birds sing, and smell the forest air. Or maybe something that reminded her of Courscant, or the Temple.

She briefly wondered if the Temple was still standing before wrenching herself back to the conversation upon realizing June was replying. "...city, but I don't mind it very much. The parks were nice, though." Rachel nodded.

"Maybe I'll get to visit sometime," Rachel said. That's when she noticed the two identical cars gaining on them.

Two identical purple and red cars.

Decepticons.

"Jack..." Rachel whispered before looking back out the back window. Jack turned to look before Rachel could tell him not to, and they were made. The cars - 'Cons - sped up. "Ms. Darby?"

"Yes? What _are_ those cars doing?" June asked. Rachel opened her mouth, but the nurse had already put two and two together and realized they were in trouble. "Jack, call the Autobots." Jack pulled out his cellphone and started doing so. Rachel bit her lip before seeing blasters raising from the hoods and sides of the 'Cons. "Jack?" June asked, starting to panic.

The lessons her Master taught her snapped through her mind. They couldn't fight and couldn't flee - Ms. Darby was a nurse, not a stunt driver. They needed something for the 'Cons to shoot at that wouldn't damage the car, or kill them or anyone else.

Rachel saw the sunroof and came up with a plan.

She unbuckled her seatbelt. "What-" June began to ask, but Rachel had to cut her off.

"Open the sunroof; I can buy us some time," Rachel ordered.

"Now, wait a second. You're a teenager," June said.

"I can fight, and I can distract, and right now, we need to get off the streets without being shot or getting anyone else shot!" Rachel pointed out. She pulled her lightsaber out of the backpack and stood up through the now open sunroof.

Judging by the protests Ms. Darby was still giving, Jack had opened it.

The wind tore at her, taking her hair and throwing it in her face. She squinted as it got in her eyes. It wasn't like she could tuck it behind her ears, so she dealt with it. It was just a small portion on either side of her face. It'd be fine.

The 'Cons aimed at her, and she ignited her lightsaber. The sapphire blade sprung to life, and it made her their target.

The blasts were high powered and large, but she had no problem deflecting them. The real issue was balance. The car was going 40, 50 miles an hour, around turns, and she was standing facing the back. She couldn't even lean to either side because she didn't know which side to lean to.

Jack got off the phone with the 'Bots, and was able to warn her. "Rachel, duck!" So she turned off her lightsaber as she dropped back into the car, just as they went under a low bridge.

This gave the 'Cons the opportunity they needed, and they shot at the tires. They didn't hit the tire, but they did destroy the road just before it as the car went around a turn. June somehow managed to keep the car from flipping, but not from spinning out. It slid to a stop beneath another Decepticon.

He was thin, with spindly legs. Gray and dark gray with occasional spots of red. A smirk that spoke of obnoxious self-confidence and a pompous attitude. He aimed a rocket at the car, a long, skeletal-like finger extended and pointing at them. Possibly a trigger of some sort. "Out," he ordered, and the three were forced to comply.

He nodded to the Decepticon cars. "Get in." June did so immediately, Jack followed. Rachel stood her ground the longest, but as he started to curl his finger, she followed the other two, getting in the same car, or at least trying to.

The car doors shut, locking Jack and June in, and her out. The other car still had its doors open, and she didn't like this at all. She reluctantly got in. The seatbelt came down over her and locked her down. The doors locked, sealing her in.

The third, unique Decepticon transformed into a fighter jet and took off, flying low to the ground. The cars followed it. She heard him speak over the comm. "Commander Starscream to Lord Megatron. I have the prisoners."

"Excellent, Starscream," a voice replied. Likely Megatron himself. Rachel instinctively knew that Megatron was _dangerous_ , and not nearly as self-obsessed as Starscream was. He was in charge, and likely a major issue. "Bring them to the bridge."

"Of course, my liege," Starscream purred. Rachel rolled her eyes. A swirling green vortex opened up 50 feet in front of them, and Starscream flew through it. The cars did as well. They were immediately on what Rachel assumed to be the bridge.

The cars released their prisoners before transforming and standing off to the side, acting as guards should the prisoners escape.

Starscream had already transformed and was standing in front of them, off to the side. Directly in front of them, looking at them with a malicious smile, was Megatron himself. "Welcome. We've been expecting you."

Rachel was in front, placing herself between the civilians and the biggest threat in the room, which was undoubtedly Megatron. It was an unconscious action, one borne of years on the battlefield. Jack and June stood side by side behind her. "Why are we here?" Rachel demanded. No sense using diplomacy on those who don't want it.

She looked without appearing to, taking stock of the bridge. Mostly faceless drones, like the kind that had kidnapped her. There was one other unique 'Con on the bridge, one taller and skinnier than Starscream with a mack for a face. Computers lining the walls, all active. Glass front, out of which she could see clouds. A set of ship controls at the end of the walkway.

"A mutually beneficial agreement between myself and an...acquaintance of yours, one who is currently distracting your protector in Brazil, I believe. Where matters not. What _does_ matter is that you are trapped here, on my ship, to await her arrival," Megatron answered, delight dripping from his words.

Rachel's heart dropped to her shoes, but she refused to let it show. If this acquaintance was who Rachel suspected, she wasn't going to survive this. Neither, she suspected, were the Darbys. That gave her a reason to go on, to keep fighting. _Not for me, but for others in need._ She learned that exact phrase from her Master, and how she wished he was here to guide her!

"Until her arrival, you three will be confined to the brig. Starscream, escort our prisoners there, and _don't lose them_ ," Megatron growled. Starscream visibly shrank - which was what Megatron wanted - and led the three humans to the brig.

Rachel watched as the Darbys were herded into a cell next to hers and put under armed guard before she was assigned the same fate. She couldn't see them, couldn't hear them, couldn't talk to them. The room was meant for those much bigger than her, and yet was plain.

Except the chains hanging form the ceiling, but she ignored those.

She was trapped, perfectly so, and had no method of escape, nor hope of rescue.

She decided she didn't like Wednesdays.

* * *

Meanwhile, something deep within the sands of the Sahara began to stir. A monster that laid dormant for centuries awakened for the first time, despite slipping back into stasis moments later.

It didn't matter, though. It had awoken...

And it would not slumber much longer.

 **A/N: And that's all she wrote! For now. Sorry for the late post! (There's a reason I never post anything till its complete...) My muse took a vacation to God-knows-where with no notice, packed my inspiration and plot ideas in her suitcase, and took my plot bunnies with her. Block is a pain. I had to work my way through it, which was also a pain. But I am back!**

 **Anyone have any ideas about what it is that is stirring beneath the dunes? (No, I'm seriously open to ideas 'cause my idea isn't too great.)**

 **Also, I regret to inform y'all that Ahsoka will not physically be in this story. Maybe through flashbacks, or communicating through the Force (even through I already have an idea for someone else talking to her), but not actually showing up and kicking tail. Although, I will admit, the idea of a showdown between her and Inquisitor!Barris was** _ **really**_ **tempting.**

 ***cue cliché announcer voice and cliffhanger questions, cause why not?* Will Rachel be able to escape before Barriss comes back? What will happen to the Darbys? Will the Autobots find them before it's too late? Stay tuned for more!**


End file.
